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Specification Management software provider Specright announced a partnership with How2Recycle, a standardized labeling system that clearly communicates disposal instructions to the public. Together, the companies are working to connect digitized specification data to inform the creation of clear, accurate recycling instructions on packaging across the U.S. and Canada in an effort to eliminate consumer confusion around recycling.
“When it comes to claims around sustainability and recycling, it’s critical that companies have the most accurate data and for that reason, ideally one source of truth for packaging material data,” said Paul Nowak, Executive Director of GreenBlue. “In the How2Recycle program, we ask up to sixty questions about any single piece of packaging and generally this information can be found in a specification. We look forward to working with Specright to help harmonize our data into one platform, leading to a positive ripple effect across every organization in the packaging industry.”
With the help of Specright’s patented Specification Data Management Platform, How2Recycle is planning to pilot live integrated connections to its platform during Q2 2024 following a successful data attribute harmonization phase. During this pilot, the program will then be able to directly pull in data from Specright to How2Recycle, minimize quality issues and errors from human entry, eliminate duplicate data entry, and aid in reporting, all while maintaining data security.
How2Recycle is a program that has existed for nearly 12 years around packaging labeling instruction and stemmed from GreenBlue, an environmental non-profit looking at bringing sustainability and materials together in the world. The organization’s mission is to get more materials in the recycling bin by taking the guesswork out of recycling.
“Our partnership promise at Specright is ‘one plus one equals three,’ in the sense that we work better together with all of our partners - together creating more positive change in the world through products and packaging,” said Adam Armstrong, Vice President of Customer Success and Strategic Partnerships of Specright. “This partnership comes at a time when consumer demand is at an all-time high for more sustainable products and packaging, and for education around recycling specifically.”
A recent survey by Specright found that 82% of U.S. consumers say they are more likely to recycle products if companies and brands include the appropriate steps for how to recycle correctly directly on the product or packaging. More than two-thirds (71%) say they are more likely to believe a company’s sustainability claims if they are printed directly on the product or packaging (i.e., similar to a nutritional label).
“Consumers have a strong desire to make an impact on waste reduction, but without clear instructions on recycling, confusion persists,” said Matthew Wright, founder and CEO of Specright. “How2Recycle’s mission aligns closely with Specright’s vision of living in a world without waste, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with them to help companies align their data to provide clear instructions for effective recycling and ultimately more successful sustainability initiatives.”
